


Perfect

by sgtcalhouns



Category: Wreck-It Ralph (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Human AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 08:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgtcalhouns/pseuds/sgtcalhouns
Summary: Felix hears the things Tamora says about herself in the mirror and is shocked to learn how she truly feels about herself.





	Perfect

“…Disgusting.”

Felix heard it loud and clear, even through the closed door to the bedroom. He had just arrived home from work and had been surprised to find the apartment so quiet–normally Tamora was lounging on the couch or cooking dinner by the time he came home. Today, however, it appeared that she was in their bedroom. Felix quietly pushed the door open, curious to know what she was talking about.

He found Tamora standing in front of the mirror, clad only in a plain black sports bra and underwear. Glancing around the room, Felix was confused; he didn’t see anything that could be described as disgusting, so what could she be talking about? His answer came when she spoke again.

“You’re worthless,” she grumbled, running her hands over the scars on her stomach. 

As much as he tried, Felix couldn’t hold back a gasp at Tamora’s harsh words. She raised her head, making eye contact with him in the mirror.

“Felix,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to close herself off from him. “I didn’t know you were home.”

“Tammy…” he said quietly, speaking around the lump that was already forming in his throat. He stepped into the room and slowly approached her. “Was that…? Were–Were you talking about yourself just now?”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing,” she said dismissively.

“It’s not ‘nothing,’” Felix replied, his concern weaving its way into his voice. “Is that really how you feel about yourself?”

“You don’t understand,” she said, angling her body away from him.

“You’re right, I don’t,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. Tears welled in his eyes as he continued. “I don’t understand how you can say these things about yourself when you’re so perfect.”

“Perfect?” she scoffed with a bitter laugh. 

“Yes, Tamora. Perfect,” he said. “Can’t you see that?”

He reached out and placed his hand tenderly on her shoulder. She shrugged away from the contact and turned suddenly to face him.

“All I can see is a body that’s covered in reminders of every terrible thing I’ve ever lived through,” she said angrily, her voice nearly at a shout. “What about this is perfect to you?”

She held out her arms, gesturing to the multitude of scars that littered both limbs along with her stomach and chest.

“Everything about you is perfect to me because  _you_  are perfect to me,” he replied, his voice matching hers in volume. 

“Don’t pretend like you don’t have to look past these scars,” she snapped. “I know that, deep down, you hate them just as much as I do.”

“Tamora Jean, how dare you say that? You know there’s not a single thing about you that I hate,” he said, deeply offended by her accusation. “I don’t love you in spite of your scars. They’re a part of you, so I love them, too.”

“How can you say that?” she asked incredulously. “How can you possibly look at me and not be disgusted?”

“Because when I look at you, all I see is the love of my life,” he answered calmly, hoping to de-escalate their conversation. He reached up to tuck her bangs behind her ear, his other hand gently caressing her arm. “I see a woman who has been through so much, but is strong enough to always come out on top. Someone who never stops fighting.”

Tears began rolling down her cheeks as he spoke. In all her life, she had never been met with such compassion and understanding, and even after all the time she had known Felix, she found it hard to get used to. 

“Do you want to know what I see when I look at your scars?” he asked.

Tamora nodded, looking down at the floor and away from him. Felix held her cheek lovingly in his hand, gently forcing her eyes back up to meet his.

“For every scar, I see a moment when I could have been robbed of the chance to know you, but wasn’t,” he said, his eyes growing damp. “Every time I look at you I see just how many times you had to fight to survive, and it reminds me how lucky I am to have you in my life.”

Tamora stepped closer and wrapped him up in a tight embrace, her face buried in the crook of his neck. He could feel her tears falling against his skin as he wound his arms around her back to hold her close.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, a small sob shuddering through her. 

“You’ve got nothin’ to be sorry for, Tammy,” he replied, turning his head and pressing a kiss into her hair. A few tears of his own slipped down his cheeks. “I just wish you could see yourself the way I do. You are the most precious thing in the world to me, and more beautiful than I can even say.”

“I love you, Felix,” she said, tightening her hold on him. 

“I love you, too,” he responded. “Every part of you.”

They stayed that way, wrapped around each other in the middle of the bedroom, for a long while before Felix suggested they order some food to be delivered so they could spend the evening cuddled close together. He held her in his arms as she drifted off to sleep, and he hoped more than anything that her dreams would be peaceful; she had already fought more than enough battles for one day. It truly broke his heart to learn that she thought so badly of herself, and he vowed to never let her forget how perfect she was in his eyes. 

It would take a long time for her to learn to love herself the way Felix did, but whenever she needed a reminder, he would always be close by.


End file.
